Social Propriety
by Staz
Summary: HM fluff. Harm sets off to investigate human behavior. You can guess which human.
1. Experiment number 1

Disclaimer: I don't own JAG or any of the characters, nor am I making any money off of this. No infringement of any kind intended.

A/N: The story starts off in Harm's POV, from there you'll catch the drift.

(Those waiting on Holy Crap, don't shoot! Chap. 6 should be out real soon. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy some meaningless fluff)

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There is an unspoken rule concerning social propriety. Every person has his own space. We bump into people on a daily basis, touch casually, lean into someone we trust. And yet around each one of us there's a loosely defined space that's our own and most usually respected and left alone, especially in a military surrounding.

I noticed one morning in the elevator that some people are more zealous about their personal space, which is what spurred this whole discussion in my head. I started paying attention to how people reacted when their personal space was disturbed and was surprised to find that responses varied from actual flinching to complete nonchalance.

A few days of observation were enough to push me into the experimental stage of my investigation, and who better to challenge than the person who challenges me constantly. It was never a question and Mac never saw it coming. It had been one hell of a week.

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**(Experiment 1: A week earlier)**

"Are you still awake over there?" Harm tried to see over the back of the couch to make sure he wasn't the only one working.

A distant hum was the only response he got. Naturally, he decided to investigate. Getting up from his position at her table, he made his way over to see Mac sprawled on the couch. She was lying on her stomach, propped up on her forearms, pouring over her notes from their interviews that day.

They were assigned a sexual harassment case together. Usually it would have been a simple enough case, but the petty officer they were to defend was brass-related, and therefore they were to wrap things up as quickly and neatly as possible.

It had been a long day of interviews at Norfolk, where their defendant was stationed, and now they were going over all the files and their notes at her apartment.

Mac had been exhausted and claimed the couch as her place of work, leaving no room for Harm, who ended up at the table. She'd made herself comfortable, pulling the coffee table beside her for the files she wasn't working on.

Lowering himself over the back of the couch, Harm smiled when Mac didn't even move. "Are you sure you're not sleeping with your eyes open?"

His tone had been quite, but still managed to make her jump. He pulled back abruptly before the back of her hand could make contact with his face.

Not even bothering to turn and look at him, Mac got back to the notes. "It's a good thing you have fast reflexes too, flyboy."

He just laughed and tried to see what she was so intent on reading and re-reading. "So, what has you so focused, Marine?"

Mac heaved a sigh, and then pointed out a paragraph Harm couldn't quite make out from where he was standing. "This just doesn't fit. Why would she say she doesn't know the Chief, when it would be so easy to prove that she does?"

"Some liars want to get caught, Mac."

Mac dropped her head to her chest and mumbled something Harm couldn't make out.

"What's tha-"

"You've been sure she was lying from the moment we got handed this case, Harm." Turning her head in a somewhat unnatural angle, she fixed him with a stare and got his quiet, slightly amused, attention. "We agreed this case has merit besides the defendant's blood ties, would you just try to help me find the inconsistency so we could actually make headway before the sun shines?"

In his defense Harm tried to see the notes, but her position was making it slightly hard for him. One side was blocked by the back of the couch, the other by the coffee table.

Mac started bringing the paper up to him when he caught her off guard again by climbing over the couch's arm. His strong hands held him up on either side of her, only a breath separated their bodies, and his head was right next to hers.

It took her a full minute to completely grasp what had happened. A smile crept on her lips as she debated how to deal with his unexpected, yet not unwelcome, action.

"Would you like to move the coffee table, so that you could see better?"

His simple reply – "No.", slightly stumped her, but before she could make another move Harm lifted himself off of her.

"Well, she's definitely trying to hide something. She might not be flat out lying, but she's not telling us the whole truth."

He seemed completely unaffected by their earlier closeness, but then again he had initiated it.

"We need to figure out why and what she's hiding if we're gonna get this case resolved soon." Mac was proud of her ability to bounce back from almost anything. She flitted over her notes once again, memorizing crucial parts, and heard Harm packing his things.

"Well, nothing more we can do tonight, tomorrow we can go talk to her again."

The petty officer's interview simply stumped her, she struck Mac as a straight-laced individual, and Mac did not think of herself as gullible or a bad judge of character.

"Why would she lie?" She voiced her thoughts when she heard Harm's steps nearing her.

"Why does anyone?" He was standing above her.

"Oh, come on, Harm. Are we really going to get into this?"

He put his hands up in mock surrender and smiled innocently.

"I'm just saying..."

Placing the notes on the table with the rest of the files, Mac flipped onto her back, raising her arms above her head.

"And what is it exactly you are saying, flyboy?" Despite her objections only seconds earlier to a meaningless exchange of words, she felt drawn to the familiarity of a conversation so vague it only left her confused and slightly dazed.

Accepting the challenge, Harm crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm saying you lie when you feel threatened. When you're more comfortable with the lie, or what people perceive of it, than the reality."

Fixing him with an assessing look, Mac tried to figure out where he was taking the conversation this time. "Or when you have no other option."

"There are always options, Mac." His tall frame filled her field of vision.

"Not when you're cornered with nowhere to move." He moved the foot of the couch, and rested his knee on its arm. He made no verbal response, simply smiled slightly. Too late, she realized that the gleam in his eyes wasn't caused by the dim lighting in her living room, and suddenly he was once again putting her lung capacity to the test.

With Harm practically lying on top of her once again, this time his face right above hers, Mac found that her ability to breathe under duress left something to be desired. She wanted to wipe that damned grin off of his face but her hands were in no position to move, way above her head. Even if they were, she wasn't sure her brain was fit to send appropriate commands their way.

"You've got no where to move, Mac..." He spoke quietly, sounding slightly amused. "Yet... you have an option." His raised eyebrow finally brought her out of her temporary coma. Two could play at his game.

Allowing a slow smile to spread her lips, Mac relaxed under his weight. "You're right" she whispered in a rather seductive tone, her arms moved forward in one round motion to draw his head into their circle. Bringing their faces impossibly closer, she went on. "I actually have a few." An Eskimo kiss had never looked this hot and now Harm was having a little trouble breathing. "You know which one I find most appealing right now?" Somewhere in the back of her mind she really felt sorry for what she was about to do and for lying.

"Which one would that be?"

Bringing her lips to his ear she delivered her blow. "Using my Marine training in a most spectacular way which would land you clear across the room and being introduced to muscles you didn't know you had."

For a few seconds neither moved, their eyes met and held, issuing a brand new challenge. Breaking the spell first, Harm suddenly burst out laughing and drew himself up and off of Mac. Her hands stayed in mid air for a second, and then drifted down to rest on her stomach.

"The problem is, I actually believe you, jarhead." Harm shot in her direction as he moved to gather his briefcase from the table.

"That's the least of our problems..." She muttered under her breath.

"Good night, Mac, see you bright and early tomorrow."

Mac moved to get up but Harm waved her off, already at the door. "Bye, Harm."

The door closed behind him and Mac lay back down to stare a while at the ceiling and wonder, not for the first time, how screwed up a relationship could get.

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**(Present time)**

The first experiment reminded me that Mac was anything but the standard subject for study. I was never one to be deterred by a bump in the road. I broadened my field of study and thought up more experiments.

Looking back, what I thought of as a very inventive approach could have just as easily backfired with horrendous results.

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TBC


	2. Experiment number 2

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

A/N: This time we start from Mac's POV. Thank you guys so much for the absolutely wonderful reviews! I'm really glad you're enjoying it. I'm having great fun :-)

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**(Experiment 2: two days post Exp. 1)**

We managed to wrap up the sexual harassment case quickly enough, as was expected, and Harm asked if I felt like going out for a drink. I was tired, but not tired enough to refuse some quality time with my partner. We both decided a shower and a change of clothes was warranted, so we met up a little later at a small bar that was rather closer to his place.

I was definitely right to accept his offer; I needed this easy night out. A nice atmosphere, some background music, and great company.

Although we've been talking about the case nonstop since we got it, somehow the conversation drew back to it and its conclusion.

"And you said we can't both be right." The accusatory note in his voice was mellowed by his smile.

"When did I ever say that?" I don't have to look up to know he's giving me suspicious look. I smile down at my almost empty glass. Our silence is a comfortable one.

Swallowing down the second yawn for the last minute, I decide the day is nearing its end. "I'm completely beat. I'm gonna head home."

"Come on, Mac, night's still young!" His heart isn't in his protest. He is just as tired, if his bloodshot eyes are anything to go by.

"Yeah, you don't look too hot yourself, sailor. Are you ok to drive home?"

"Yeah, don't worry, I'll leave soon." He smiles tiredly. He knows he can't fool me. I'm not worried; he could walk home if he wanted to.

I slip from my seat and he gets up to say goodnight. He stumbles just a bit and ends up standing a bit too close to me, mere inches away. In that split second I made a very conscious decision to stay and not take that expected step back. It felt like a dare and I stepped up to the plate. I will not be intimidated.

I feel the outline of his form as my senses heighten. This is what's called being painfully sober. I am completely clear-headed but wishing I could use being drunk as an excuse to act on what I feel without anything to hold me back.

I tilt my head up, intending to place a kiss on his cheek, but he moves his face and our lips share a brief caress.

I don't know what he's feeling but I'm trembling in all sorts of places on the inside. Is this all it takes to shake me to the core? I've acquired a rather personal rhythm, but lost the ability to move.

I feel his right hand fingers touch my left, and then find their way to my palm, tracing barely-there patterns. Wait a minute; isn't he supposed to be as tired as I am? Where does he get off making exact movements like that?

I know somewhere in the back of my mind that it's been a few seconds but it seems we've been standing like this for a lifetime. Eternity lies in an indiscernible electrified gap. I'm sure the electricity could be used to write it in lights...

He's first to regain his sense of propriety and takes half a step back. Suddenly cold, a chill runs down my back, I'm brought out of fantasy land.

"Bye, Harm." I manage to whisper. As if I could leave right now, his eyes still have me glued to the spot. I wonder what this looks like to an innocent observer.

"Bye, Mac." he blinks and I've been freed. I turn around and walk away without looking back. I have a lot of thinking and longing to do tonight.

The analyzing starts the minute I'm out the door on my way to the car. What the hell was I thinking making such a conscious decision? I knew it wouldn't go beyond tormenting me and yet... I threw myself in the line of fire again. That was a damn stupid move, Marine. Even now I imagine I hear him calling to me to come back, and it's getting stronger. Woha, hold on. I whirl around and almost loose balance at the sight of him approaching.

"Harm?"

He's a bit out of breath when he reaches my side, at my car. "Mac, on second thought, could you drive me home?"

I'm not sure I'm steady enough yet, flyboy. "Sure, no problem." Okay, Marine, breath in, breath out, it's just Harm, you can do this.

He flashes me a smile before ducking into my car. I move around to the driver's side and very slowly let all the air out of my lungs before taking a very deep breath. I'm going in.

He's completely silent during the short ride, and I get the charming opportunity to get back to mulling over what happened earlier. Once again he initiated the moment in a friendly pretense that suddenly got too close for comfort. Is there anyway this man's doing it unconsciously? It wouldn't be a first... But how dense do you have to be not to notice the results of your own actions?

"Mac!" The panic in his voice and the fact that he just grabbed the steering wheel snap me out of my thoughts. I almost drove us straight off the road. Once I'm steady I risk a look to my right and am hard pressed not to laugh out loud. He's staring me down, eyes wide open, mouth slightly slack.

"Are you sure you're okay to drive, Mac? Maybe we should switch?"

"Aren't you the one who was too tired to drive?" I can imagine him rolling his eyes. "I'm fine, Harm, just let my mind wander for a minute, won't happen again." Out of the corner of my eye I see him relax back into his chair and give a small sigh.

"Just keep your eyes and mind on the road, Marine. I have plans for this week I'd like to see through."

"Oh, really?" I risk a glance in his direction, only to find his expression turn panicky again and his hand twitching in his lap, undoubtedly ready to catch the wheel should I lax again. I'm tempted to make it look like I do just to tease him.

A couple of minutes later I'm parked outside his building. And now we have a brand new goodbye scene, less than 10 minutes after the first one for the evening.

Reluctantly I turn to face him. He's grinning. I could just take his face in my hands and kiss him.

"Thanks for the entertaining drive, Mac." He raised a brow.

I roll my eyes at him. "Anytime, sailor."

"Good night, Mac." He still hasn't opened the door, or even moved for that matter.

"Night, Harm."

He leans in, most definitely aiming for my cheek, and I relax slightly. His face next to mine he pauses. We're not touching. Just like before I can feel him. I know the contours of his features next to mine. My breath catches and my heart speeds up. What is he doing?

Just when I'm about to make a move, I'm not even sure which one, Harm presses his lips briefly to my skin, then he's out of the car and walking briskly to his apartment.

I blink once, then again and cover my face with my hands.

Sitting in my car like this just won't do. The car starts itself and starts moving. I drive home, desperately trying to keep focused on driving, periodically shaking my head. No Harm to grab the wheel this time.

Crazy. That man's gonna drive me crazy.

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**(Present time)**

I'm not stupid. I didn't want Mac questioning my behavior, so I limited it to specific short events she would be able to push from her mind. After all it started out as an investigation into human behavior, nothing more, I wasn't about to risk a friendship that meant the world to me.

No, I'm not stupid; I just have a tendency to underestimate Sarah MacKenzie.

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TBC


	3. Experiment number 3

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

A/N: On a happy distraction-from-reality note, we start from Harm's POV again.

To all the peace-loving people on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border – I hope and pray peace and quiet times will come soon. Be strong.

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**(Present time)**

I knew that performing any experiments at work would be unwelcome as well as slightly dangerous to us both. The walls tend to have ears, especially in JAG HQ. So at work everything was absolutely normal. This only served my plan to observe isolated moments in time of invasion of Mac's personal space.

So far each incident brought satisfying results. I was testing the line, careful to pull back just before crossing it, retreating to the safety of the land of friendship.

And then – and I swear it was unintentional; I rocked the boat.

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**(Experiment 3)**

Friday night seemed like a perfect time for Harm's third experiment. He called Mac and invited her over for dinner. It took about 5 minutes of persuasion but it was worth it.

Just as he'd suspected, Mac ignored his experiments so far and acted completely normal. Dinner was fun and light. One thing Harm loved about his friendship with Mac was that they could sit down and talk about everything and anything for hours. A conversation could start around a case or something they saw on the news and somehow evolve to a debate about the price of vegetables and the arrangement of aisles in grocery stores.

Having finished the meal and the cup of coffee that followed it, Mac started clearing the table. The plan was pretty much complete in Harm's head before Mac even got there, but the time since she did served to perfect it.

He followed her closely with the remaining dishes, careful to keep some distance until she was at the counter. As Mac leaned to place things in the sink Harm move a bit closer and placed the few items on the nearest surface.

Mac turned from the sink and found herself in the exact same situation she was in at the bar; in debt to a few air molecules that were the only thing that existed between her control and her lack thereof.

Slowly she lifted her head to meet his gaze. Big mistake. She no longer owed any debts as his hands touched her waist, then glided to the small of her back and with a gentle tug eliminated any and all space between their bodies.

Distantly she wondered why he was doing things so infuriatingly slow. A little voice in the back of her mind yelled 'kiss me already!'. Had it been anyone but Harm she would have initiated the kiss long ago, but here she needed affirmation, she needed assurance before she sank completely.

Harm, thankfully, didn't drag it too much longer and brought his lips down to hers in what started as gentle pressure and slowly but surely became a breath and heart taking kiss. The kiss was slow and sweet, a first experimental kiss, reminiscent of the one they shared so many years ago on a dock.

"We're getting really good at saying goodbye" Harm didn't realize he had spoken until he heard his own voice. Yet another scene replayed in his mind, but this time the statement wasn't loaded, just a reference to their past that for a change held some promise for their future. The sadness in Mac's voice didn't fail to register as she answered "Practice makes perfect..."

Harm pulled back just as slowly as he had approached, severing physical contact but staying within reach.

Mac was left in a more unstable state than she ever remembered being in. Slightly trembling, her finger reached up to softly trace over his bottom lip, as it spread in his smile, then her hand dropped back to her side and her eyes followed it.

For the life of him, Harm could not move. This experiment was supposed to be the most daring one so far and it's objectives have been met and surpassed but he forgot to plan beyond the moment's success and was now somewhat paralyzed by the fear of ruining one of the best things in his life.

Mac on her part was working on getting her body back under control. Finally she raised her head and had to smile faintly at the traces of panic in her best friend's features. She knew it was up to her to save the moment again.

"Goodnight, Harm, thanks for dinner." Unable to stop herself, she caressed his arm from shoulder to elbow, and with a last smile turned to leave.

Harm snapped back to life when she touched him and flashed back a smile. "You're welcome... Have a safe drive home." He added when she reached the door.

Mac simply nodded and smiled again.

The door closed silently, and two pairs of eyes momentarily closed with it.

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I spent the entire drive singing along to my favorite CD, focusing on the lyrics and pushing any and all thoughts from my mind.

Slamming my apartment door wasn't nearly enough to release all the aggression bubbling within. I feel like screaming my lungs out. This just can not be real. Life can not be this cruel. Three different events in less than a week have to mean something. There's no way he just kissed me like that for no reason. But then the fear in his face was unmistakable, so what the hell does he want? What is he so afraid of?

Pacing back and forth isn't really helping, I decide after about two turns. That first moment on my couch was fine; nothing out of the usual for us. The second made me shake. The third threw me right off my feet.

Realization hits me with such a force I'm surprised I'm still standing. I backed out. It's my fault I'm standing alone in my apartment. Well, it's also his fault for making me so damned unsure of myself in regards to him that the slightest change in his expression sends me packing. But the situation was firmly in my hands and I could have taken it in a direction of my choice.

My brain catches up with the rest of my body only when I'm already outside the building, on the way to regain the control over my so called life.

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Harm opened the door with a surprised look that turned into a small grin as he saw Mac's expression of full determination.

What came out of her mouth was the one sentence that had been repeating in her mind since she left him earlier. "I think we should practice on 'hello'"

He raised an eyebrow and opened the door wide for her to enter. Mac took the few necessary steps to bring her inside the apartment and clear the path for him to close the door behind her, but no more. She was dead serious and the slight smile on his lips faded away.

Coming to stand before her, Harm took Mac's hand in his and pulled her gently towards him.

"Hello, Sarah." He uttered quietly just before leaning down to kiss her. It was a pretty accurate repeat of their goodbye kiss earlier that night, only this time her hands came up to his chest and she molded herself into him as he too gathered her even closer.

Her hands moved over his chest and then to his broad shoulders, reaching his neck and his hair. She couldn't get over the rightness of feeling him against her. All the analyzing she ever did went down the drain as she felt him pressed against her. She felt it so deeply that it made her wonder why she ever doubted it. How did she not see the hypocrisy of trusting her feelings yet fighting them when they really mattered? They fit, that's all there was to it.

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Epilogue to follow :-)


	4. Epilogue

Disclaimer: see first chapter.

A/N: Here's that epilogue I promised. Watch out – it's short. From Mac's POV only this time. To all you readers and reviewers – you are the best! Thank you so very very much!

Colie, hope this make ya smile!

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He's been experimenting with me. The nerve of the man is unbelievable. Toying with me, no less! He spent an entire week purposely pushing all the right buttons just to see how I reacted.

After practicing quite a bit on 'hello' standing rooted to the spot, we moved to the sofa and practiced some more. I was right too – practice does make perfect. We took it above and beyond.

Harm finally told me what brought on the week's events after I prodded and pushed some of his buttons. I went into total shock. The only reason I snapped out of it quickly enough was yet another sensational kiss and a whispered sentence that almost sent me crashing to the floor in a fit of uncontrollable giggling.

"The results were off the charts, I'm gonna have to come up with a new scale."

The thing is he knows exactly which buttons to push, in what sequence and just how long to hold each one. I'm an easy target for this man really, not that I plan on admitting that to him or anyone else in the near future. Girl's gotta have some secrets.

I am thankful, extremely glad that his experiments have brought me to this place in time, surrounded by a warmth that has nothing to do with temperature. I am lying down, encircled by a pair of strong arms, in his bed. I'm in Harm's bed. That thought alone made my cheeks hurt from smiling in the hour that has passed since I woke up. I can't count the number of times I wondered what this moment would feel like. I grossly underestimated how good this would be.

Maybe it's because I've never actually slept in somebody's arms. I've never let the men in my life that close. I always felt threatened to be held like this; caged in with nowhere to run. I'm not running anywhere now. I'm actually staying as still as I can as so to prolong this tingling feeling as much as humanly possible.

If the contraction of abdominal muscles is anything to go by, I need to find something to eat in the near future. For that to happen I need my love to wake up. I wonder how I should go about waking him up.

I tighten my hold on his waist, pressing my body against his side. His only response is to tighten his hold on me as well and grumble something unintelligible. He's still sleeping. A soft kiss to his shoulder and then three more to his collar-bone seem to have almost the exact same affect.

Hmmm, I see some potential here. Why should Harm be the only one experimenting? Practically climbing on top of him I start a trail of kisses up to the side of his mouth, while my hand holds his face gently still. He still hasn't woken, I swear he's pretending. I stay at the corner of his mouth, teasing it with small kisses and an occasional flick of the tongue.

My hypothesis is soon proven right when his lips claim mine with a demand for more and he reverses our positions so that his wonderful weight pushes me down.

"Morning, beautiful." He mumbles against me when he's done 'punishing' me for the tease.

I just hum back a somewhat noncommittal response and move my head to nibble on his jaw. I'm hungry. Harm indulges me for a few moments before, once again, cutting the supply of oxygen and blood to my head. I'm definitely beginning to see a pattern here.

I'm grinning from ear to ear and his smile follows soon.

"What're you grinning about, ninja-girl?"

"Wouldn't you like to know..." Oh, I'm going to enjoy this immensely, I can tell.

Harm moves his head to my right. I can almost feel him kiss right below my ear, as he'd done more than once already, but there's only air against my skin. Smart little squid, playing the experiment card again. Had he mastered the ability to read minds and just held out on me? His breath against my ear is all but driving me crazy; it's taking everything in me to not give in.

"Sarah..." is all he had to whisper and I'm putty in his hands. My head moves on its own to rest against his and finally his lips make contact with my skin, blindly finding their way back to mine. My eyes flutter closed and I just give in to the feeling. This wonderful feeling of desire.

I can (and will) experiment all I want on Harm's reactions, but it's only fair that he should get to complete his trials and draw his conclusions. My responses to him are, and on some level always have been, immediate and unequivocal.

As his hand trails over the back of my thigh and his tongue works some magic I bid all analytical thoughts farewell. I need to focus on responding now.

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The End.


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